the iliad(伊利亚特)-第100章

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rugs；　and　spread　coverlets　on　the　top　of　them　with　woollen　cloaks
for　Priam　and　Idaeus　to　wear。　So　the　maids　went　out　carrying　a　torch
and　got　the　two　beds　ready　in　all　haste。　Then　Achilles　said　laughingly
to　Priam；　〃Dear　sir；　you　shall　lie　outside；　lest　some　counsellor　of
those　who　in　due　course　keep　coming　to　advise　with　me　should　see　you
here　in　the　darkness　of　the　flying　night；　and　tell　it　to　Agamemnon。
This　might　cause　delay　in　the　delivery　of　the　body。　And　now　tell　me
and　tell　me　true；　for　how　many　days　would　you　celebrate　the　funeral
rites　of　noble　Hector？　Tell　me；　that　I　may　hold　aloof　from　war　and
restrain　the　host。〃
　　And　Priam　answered；　〃Since；　then；　you　suffer　me　to　bury　my　noble　son
with　all　due　rites；　do　thus；　Achilles；　and　I　shall　be　grateful。　You
know　how　we　are　pent　up　within　our　city；　it　is　far　for　us　to　fetch
wood　from　the　mountain；　and　the　people　live　in　fear。　Nine　days；
therefore；　will　we　mourn　Hector　in　my　house；　on　the　tenth　day　we
will　bury　him　and　there　shall　be　a　public　feast　in　his　honour；　on
the　eleventh　we　will　build　a　mound　over　his　ashes；　and　on　the　twelfth；
if　there　be　need；　we　will　fight。〃
　　And　Achilles　answered；　〃All；　King　Priam；　shall　be　as　you　have
said。　I　will　stay　our　fighting　for　as　long　a　time　as　you　have　named。〃
　　As　he　spoke　he　laid　his　hand　on　the　old　man's　right　wrist；　in
token　that　he　should　have　no　fear；　thus　then　did　Priam　and　his
attendant　sleep　there　in　the　forecourt；　full　of　thought；　while
Achilles　lay　in　an　inner　room　of　the　house；　with　fair　Briseis　by　his
side。
　　And　now　both　gods　and　mortals　were　fast　asleep　through　the
livelong　night；　but　upon　Mercury　alone；　the　bringer　of　good　luck；
sleep　could　take　no　hold　for　he　was　thinking　all　the　time　how　to　get
King　Priam　away　from　the　ships　without　his　being　seen　by　the　strong
force　of　sentinels。　He　hovered　therefore　over　Priam's　head　and　said；
〃Sir；　now　that　Achilles　has　spared　your　life；　you　seem　to　have　no　fear
about　sleeping　in　the　thick　of　your　foes。　You　have　paid　a　great
ransom；　and　have　received　the　body　of　your　son；　were　you　still　alive
and　a　prisoner　the　sons　whom　you　have　left　at　home　would　have　to
give　three　times　as　much　to　free　you；　and　so　it　would　be　if
Agamemnon　and　the　other　Achaeans　were　to　know　of　your　being　here。〃
　　When　he　heard　this　the　old　man　was　afraid　and　roused　his　servant。
Mercury　then　yoked　their　horses　and　mules；　and　drove　them　quickly
through　the　host　so　that　no　man　perceived　them。　When　they　came　to
the　ford　of　eddying　Xanthus；　begotten　of　immortal　Jove；　Mercury　went
back　to　high　Olympus；　and　dawn　in　robe　of　saffron　began　to　break
over　all　the　land。　Priam　and　Idaeus　then　drove　on　toward　the　city
lamenting　and　making　moan；　and　the　mules　drew　the　body　of　Hector。　No
one　neither　man　nor　woman　saw　them；　till　Cassandra；　fair　as　golden
Venus　standing　on　Pergamus；　caught　sight　of　her　dear　father　in　his
chariot；　and　his　servant　that　was　the　city's　herald　with　him。　Then　she
saw　him　that　was　lying　upon　the　bier；　drawn　by　the　mules；　and　with　a
loud　cry　she　went　about　the　city　saying；　〃Come　hither　Trojans；　men　and
women；　and　look　on　Hector；　if　ever　you　rejoiced　to　see　him　coming　from
battle　when　he　was　alive；　look　now　on　him　that　was　the　glory　of　our
city　and　all　our　people。〃
　　At　this　there　was　not　man　nor　woman　left　in　the　city；　so　great　a
sorrow　had　possessed　them。　Hard　by　the　gates　they　met　Priam　as　he
was　bringing　in　the　body。　Hector's　wife　and　his　mother　were　the
first　to　mourn　him：　they　flew　towards　the　waggon　and　laid　their
hands　upon　his　head；　while　the　crowd　stood　weeping　round　them。　They
would　have　stayed　before　the　gates；　weeping　and　lamenting　the　livelong
day　to　the　going　down　of　the　sun；　had　not　Priam　spoken　to　them　from
the　chariot　and　said；　〃Make　way　for　the　mules　to　pass　you。
Afterwards　when　I　have　taken　the　body　home　you　shall　have　your　fill　of
weeping。〃
　　On　this　the　people　stood　asunder；　and　made　a　way　for　the　waggon。
When　they　had　borne　the　body　within　the　house　they　laid　it　upon　a
bed　and　seated　minstrels　round　it　to　lead　the　dirge；　whereon　the　women
joined　in　the　sad　music　of　their　lament。　Foremost　among　them　all
Andromache　led　their　wailing　as　she　clasped　the　head　of　mighty
Hector　in　her　embrace。　〃Husband；〃　she　cried；　〃you　have　died　young；　and
leave　me　in　your　house　a　widow；　he　of　whom　we　are　the　ill…starred
parents　is　still　a　mere　child；　and　I　fear　he　may　not　reach　manhood。
Ere　he　can　do　so　our　city　will　be　razed　and　overthrown；　for　you　who
watched　over　it　are　no　more…　you　who　were　its　saviour；　the　guardian　of
our　wives　and　children。　Our　women　will　be　carried　away　captives　to　the
ships；　and　I　among　them；　while　you；　my　child；　who　will　be　with　me　will
be　put　to　some　unseemly　tasks；　working　for　a　cruel　master。　Or；　may　be；
some　Achaean　will　hurl　you　（O　miserable　death）　from　our　walls；　to
avenge　some　brother；　son；　or　father　whom　Hector　slew；　many　of　them
have　indeed　bitten　the　dust　at　his　hands；　for　your　father's　hand　in
battle　was　no　light　one。　Therefore　do　the　people　mourn　him。　You　have
left；　O　Hector；　sorrow　unutterable　to　your　parents；　and　my　own　grief
is　greatest　of　all；　for　you　did　not　stretch　forth　your　arms　and
embrace　me　as　you　lay　dying；　nor　say　to　me　any　words　that　might　have
lived　with　me　in　my　tears　night　and　day　for　evermore。〃
　　Bitterly　did　she　weep　the　while；　and　the　women　joined　in　her　lament。
Hecuba　in　her　turn　took　up　the　strains　of　woe。　〃Hector；〃　she　cried；
〃dearest　to　me　of　all　my　children。　So　long　as　you　were　alive　the
gods　loved　you　well；　and　even　in　death　they　have　not　been　utterly
unmindful　of　you；　for　when　Achilles　took　any　other　of　my　sons；　he
would　sell　him　beyond　the　seas；　to　Samos　Imbrus　or　rugged　Lemnos；
and　when　he　had　slain　you　too　with　his　sword；　many　a　time　did　he
drag　you　round　the　sepulchre　of　his　comrade…　though　this　could　not
give　him　life…　yet　here　you　lie　all　fresh　as　dew；　and　comely　as　one
whom　Apollo　has　slain　with　his　painless　shafts。〃
　　Thus　did　she　too　speak　through　her　tears　with　bitter　moan；　and
then　Helen　for　a　third　time　took　up　the　strain　of　lamentation。
〃Hector；〃　said　she；　〃dearest　of　all　my　brothers…in…law…for　I　am　wife
to　Alexandrus　who　brought　me　hither　to　Troy…　would　that　I　had　died　ere
he　did　so…　twenty　years　are　come　and　gone　since　I　left　my　home　and
came　from　over　the　sea；　but　I　have　never　heard　one　word　of　insult　or
unkindness　from　you。　When　another　would　chide　with　me；　as　it　might
be　one　of　your　brothers　or　sisters　or　of　your　brothers'　wives；　or　my
mother…in…law…　for　Priam　was　as　kind　to　me　as　though　he　were　my　own
father…　you　would　rebuke　and　check　them　with　words　of　gentleness　and
goodwill。　Therefore　my　tears　flow　both　for　you　and　for　my　unhappy
self；　for　there　is　no　one　else　in　Troy　who　is　kind　to　me；　but　all
shrink　and　shudder　as　they　go　by　me。〃
　　She　wept　as　she　spoke　and　the　vast　crowd　that　was　gathered　round　her
joined　in　her　lament。　Then　King　Priam　spoke　to　them　saying；　〃Bring
wood；　O　Trojans；　to　the　city；　and　fear　no　cunning　ambush　of　the
Argives；　for　Achilles　when　he　dismissed　me　from　the　ships　gave　me
his　word　that　they　should　not　attack　us　until　the　morning　of　the
twelfth　day。〃
　　Forthwith　they　yoked　their　oxen　and　mules　and　gathered　together
before　the　city。　Nine　days　long　did　they　bring　in　great　heaps　wood；
and　on　the　morning　of　the　tenth　day　with　many　tears　they　took　trave
Hector　forth；　laid　his　dead　body　upon　the　summit　of　the　pile；　and
set　the　fire　thereto。　Then　when　the　child　of　morning　rosy…fingered
dawn　appeared　on　the　eleventh　day；　the　people　again　assembled；　round
the　pyre　of　mighty　Hector。　When　they　were　got　together；　they　first
quenched　the　fire　with　wine　wherever　it　was　burning；　and　then　his
brothers　and　comrades　with　many　a　bitter　tear　gathered　his　white
bones；　wrapped　them　in　soft　robes　of　purple；　and　laid　them　in　a　golden
urn；　which　they　placed　in　a　grave　and　covered　over　with　large　stones
set　close　together。　Then　they　built　a　barrow　hurriedly　over　it　keeping
guard　on　every　side　lest　the　Achaeans　should　attack　them　before　they
had　finished。　When　they　had　heaped　up　the　barrow　they　went　back
again　into　the　city；　and　being　well　assembled　they　held　high　feast
in　the　house　of　Priam　their　king。